Device for tightening wire



1951 J. E. SCHEUERLEIN 2,577,212

DEVICE FOR TIGHTENING WIRE Fil ed March 22 1948 2' SHEETS-SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

LLhQB e542 ri e/n ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 4, 1951 :i a

UNITED STATE forrlce DEVICE FOR TIGHT IKQ IR J hn E. Scheuerlein, Sa

Application March 22, 194B, sa ami. 16,298

One of the prime objects of the invention is to designa very simple tool for tightening and taking -up-thes1ack wire on fences," telephone. lines and other places, so that a tight wire strand may be maintained at all times.

Another object is to provide an adjustable tool including take-up clips on which the slack wire can be wound so that the strand or strands may be tightened and so held.

A further object is to provide a very simple, practical, and economical tool and take-up clip, which can be readily manufactured and assembled, and which can be readily operated by unskilled workmen, with a minimum of time and effort, and which can be manufactured in any desired size to suit the operation required.

A further object is to design a device of rugged construction, which requires little, if any, main tenance or repair, which is efiicient in its operation, and which is of a size to permit it to be readily handled and operated with single or double strand, and/or Page wire fences, telephone lines and wire of all kinds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention then consists in the means hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, the annexed drawings and following description setting forth. in detail, certain means and one mode of carrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating, however, but one of various ways in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an edge-elevational view of the wire tightening tool, showing a take-up clip gripped between the jaws thereof.

Fig. 2 is a top, plan view, the broken lines showing the handle swung to position to facilitate rotation of the tool.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the take-up hook.

Fig. 4 i a top, plan View of the tool showing the take-up clip in position and ready for winding to tighten the loose strand of wire.

Fig. 5 is a view of the take-up clip showing two loops of wire wound thereon.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing three loops wound on the clip.

Fence wires are stretched by people climbing over them, cattle" and other animals endeavoring to crawl betweenthestrands, and by the sagging of "the 'supports' to which the wires are attached, and with telephone lines, there is the problem of additional excessive weight caused by ice freezing on the lines with'the poles spaced a considerable distance, apart, as 'wellas the weight of. the wire proper between'the poles or supports which cause them to sag'to' ap'oint wherethey do not serve the purpose intended, nor do they properly keep cattle, horses and other animals in the area surrounded by the fence.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, the tool comprises a pair of spaced-apart bar members I and 8 respectively, spaced apart at a point directly adjacent the front end thereof by means of the separator 9, held in place by means of a bolt l0, these front end sections forming jaws H suitably spaced to accommodate a take-up clip C therebetween, and on which the wire strands S are wound and in a manner to be presently described.

A socket recess i2 is provided on the free end of the bar member 1, and a threaded opening I3 is provided in the free end of the companion bar member 8, said opening being in alignment with said recess.

An angularly shaped handle member H is adjustably mounted in the opening l3, the end section l4 being threaded as shown, with the extreme end accommodated in and bearing against the bottom of the recess 12, so that the handle may be actuated to force the ends of the bars from each other and the jaw ends towards each other.

The clip hook C is formed as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing, and is preferably in the form of a stamping, so that it can be mass produced with the saving in time and labor incident thereto, said clip being formed with a horizontally disposed body section l5 having a short leg I 6 formed integral therewith, and on the one end thereof.

A winding section I! is provided directly adjacent the opposite end of the clip and parallel with the leg IS, the edge walls 18 being inwardly inclined as shown, and longitudinally disposed legs I9 form a part of the winding section and serve to prevent displacement of the wire as it is wound thereon.

An open slot 20 is provided in the outer edge of the winding section l1, and it will be noted that the leg I6 is considerably shorter than the 3. section [1, so that the wire may be readily wound on the clip without interference.

In practice, a take-up clip C is placed between the jaw members I l of the device and the handle H is then actuated to bring the jaws ll into tight gripping engagement with the body of the clip. The user then places the clip on the strand of wire S to be tightened, with the strand leading through the slot 20, the wire is thus in longitudinal alignment with the clip; the handle H is then swung at right angles to the bars I and 8, and the tool and clip rotated as a unit to wind the wire on the section I! until the strand issuficiently taut. The strand is then forced be -rhind the leg 16 which prevents any unwinding action, and the tightening operation is completed, the angle of the wallsof the Minding-.5

section and the angle of the inner edge of the leg 16 tending to prevent any disengagement? On heavy wire and/or,-.-larger tools, an extento suit the j ob.

From the foregoing description, it will be.

clearly obvious that I have perfected .a very simple, practical, and relatively inexpensive. tool for tightening fence wires,-te1eph one lines and the. like.

What I claim is:

A wire tightening device of the class described, comprising a relatively thick, fiat, rectangularshaped clip, a winding sectionformed in the main body of the clip and having inwardly inclined, parallel edge walls over which the wire is wound, the outer end of the winding section being formed with overhanging foot sections to prevent displacement of .llhewire wound thereon, an open slot of substantially one-half .the depth of the winding section located intermediate the width thereof, and a leg formed on the one end "of the clip adjacent the winding section, said ,legvextendingparallel with said winding section .with the outer free end of said leg in substantial horizontal alignment with the bottom wall of said-slotanditsinner edge inwardly inclined.

JOHN E. SCHEUERIEIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references areofvrecord-inthefile of ,thispatent:

UNITED STATES'PA'I'ENTS 

